Welcome to the Honduras This Week Online environment section, a permanent collection of articles related to the Environment in Honduras. Click here to return to the weekly version of Honduras This Week Online.

Lake Yojoa was chosen as a principal site for the reforestation. The lake and surrounding areas provide a home for more than 400 species of native and migratory birds.

By WILLIAM H. KIVETT
Special to HTW

According to studies provided by the Honduran Forestry Corporation (COHDEFOR) and the school of forestry science (ESNACIFOR) Honduras loses thousands of acres of forest every year, which very conservatively translates into a tree per second. Tragic as that may seem, what is worse is that most trees are host to several other botanical species such as orchids, lichens, parasites and others that usually die as well. Compounding the problem with the loss of tress and forests is the loss of animal life. For example, the howler monkey was prolific in the jungles surrounding Lake Yojoa, especially in the area of the Department of San Barbara (southwestern quadrant), however due principally to the use of trees for fire wood in the restaurants, locally known as comedores, principally congregated in the southeastern quadrant of the lake (Department of Comayagua) between l984 and 1985 the howler monkey disappeared, becoming extinct in the region.

Honduras loses its forests mainly because of the following causes: migratory agriculture, tree consumption for fire wood, sawmills for local and foreign/export, forest fires, and plagues. This is why a decade ago a program was created to reforest Lake Yojoa and it’s surroundings areas. Today those who travel on the main highway between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula can observe huge and very robust water resistant gualiquemes, that when in bloom are resplendent with fuchsia colored flowers. This program was named “Apadrine Un Arbol” (Sponsor a Tree), and today six renowned Honduran ecological organizations: AMITIGRA, AMUPROLAGO, Asociacion Copan, CODDEFFAGOLF, Fundacion Cuero y Salado and the Fundacion PASTOR FASQUELLE are planting trees for a donation of L25.00 per tree, approximately US$l.50.

With the funds collected the organizations purchase fertilizers, seeds, fungicides, seedling bags, gardening and planting tools, water systems for watering the plants; they also pay personnel to keep the seedlings and then plant them in the surrounding deforested areas, and supervise personnel and provide them with transportation to the planting grounds. Our past experience gave us a 50% survival rate, plants are lost due to: vandalism, drought, fire, animals and simply not becoming adapted to the area where they are planted, so they have to be replaced with new seedlings approximately every six months.

The six organizations maintain detailed accounting data indicating the areas that have been reforested and the donations that have been used in a specific area. This way, if people want to visit the “sponsored tree,” they can. In the near future special areas where the sponsor’s name can be seen at the foot of every tree will also be available. The public can then donate a tree for birthdays, weddings, in memory of the dead or other special events. Of course this program will be more expensive since the name plates have to be purchased and the constant supervision of the areas has to be strict to deter the loss of the signs and guarantee the well being of the trees.

One may question the importance of reforestation, among other benefits deriving from trees are: fire wood (utilizing only dead branches), wood for construction and furniture through forestry management programs, fruit, medicine, habitat for botanical and zoological species, for aesthetic purposes, for shade especially for livestock, to limit property lines and as wind breakers. Furthermore, the forest retains rainwater and releases it little by little, creating creeks, streams and rivers.

The tree emits vapor (sweats) creating clouds, which eventually become rain water aiding in the rain cycle, remember that only three percent of the planet’s water is potable, the rest (97 percent) is salty. With reforesting, mud slides and earth avalanches can be contained or reduced, saving many lives in intensive rain situations.

As contamination increases daily, locally from vehicle exhaust pipes and wood burning that creates poisonous carbon dioxide. Internationally on a massive scale from the industrialized countries that send pollution via wind currents to Central America, another major benefit of forests is that trees consume the poison and release oxygen, so vital to human life. If we manage to conserve our forests and rationally exploit them, we can create massive employment, so necessary in Honduras today.

SPONSOR A TREE - APADRINE UN ARBOL

MULTIMEDIA, one of the most renowned advertising agencies in Honduras is sponsoring a publicity campaign for the sponsor a tree program. BANCO ATLANTIDA, S.A. is collecting the donations and doing extensive publicity as well, free of charge. National TV and radio stations and newspapers are providing thousands of lempiras in free publicity. However, to get the job done the program requires the backing of corporate sponsors, the policy is to have one representative from every major economic activity in the nation: one airline, one bottling company, one hotel, and so forth. The benefits to these official backers is utilization of the campaign’s official logo, they in effect become part of the solution to the reforestation of Honduras and can so publicize it, and they can utilize resolutions which the Ministry of Finance has given the organizations involved whereby any donations, be it in cash, services or goods can be reduced from the net income tax calculation of the donor, no matter how large the donation; this applies to personal donations as well.

Apadrine un Arbol is looking for personal and corporate sponsors, and would appreciate being contacted by Honduran citizens residing in foreign countries that may want to collaborate with this patriotic endeavor of reforesting the country. Please contact: William H. Kivett at: P.O. Box 543 Tegucigalpa, Honduras or by e-mail: whkivett@vivategus.com, or by phone at 504-2118230.

William H. Kivett is a regional and city planner, registered in the Honduran Architectural Association, and promotes “Apadrine un Arbol” as a civic collaboration, ad honorem. A private, non-profit foundation is being incorporated that will be named Fundacion Apadrine un Arbol and known as FUNDARBOL to better promote and expand the program, possibly throughout the Central American isthmus.